1970s

The Chieftains 3

‘The Chieftains 3′ was recorded over just a few days in London’s Air Studios, owned by Beatles’ producer George Martin, using what were at the time pioneering new recording techniques. The album features Pat Kilduff, a professional lilter from Athlone, who had never before ventured outside Westmeath, and The Chieftains delighted in showing him the sights of London in between recording.

Track Listing

Strike the Gay Harp, Lord Mayo, The Lady on the Island, The Sailor on the Rock

Sonny’s Mazurka, Tommy Hunt’s Jig

Eibhlí Gheal Chiún ní Chearbhaill, Delahunty’s Hornpipe

The Hunter’s Purse

The March of the King of Laois

Carolan’s Concerto

Tom Billy’s, The Road to Lisdoonvarna, The Merry Sisters

Ghaoth Aneas

Lord Inchiquin

The Trip to Sligo

An Raibh Tú ag an gCarraig?

John Kelly’s Slide, Merrily Kiss the Quaker, Denis Murphy’s

The Chieftains 4

‘The Chieftains 4’ was recorded in a single weekend in early 1974 in London, and contained, as well as an ambitious composition ‘The Battle of Aughrim’ from Paddy Moloney, and the harp, played by Derek Bell, which added a new dimension to their music.
Paddy arranged a special lament version of ‘Mneá na heÉreann’ as a tribute to his good friend the late Seeán eÓ Riada.

Track Listing

Drowsey Maggie

Morgan Magan

The Tip of the Whistle

The Bucks of Oranmore

The Battle of Aughrim

The Morning Dew

Carrickfergus

Hewlett

Cherish the Ladies

Lord Mayo

Mná na hÉireann

O’ Keeffe’s Slide, An Suisín Bán, The Star Above the Garter, The Weavers

The Chieftains 5

‘The Chieftains 5’ saw a huge change for The Chieftains, the band members having quit their permanent jobs to become full time musicians. The band, their work being distributed by major labels outside Ireland, now had to make it on a global basis, and this album had to consolidate their careers and prove that The Chieftains were not just a live band.

With ‘The Chieftains 5’, Derek Bell introduced the medieaval Tiompán to The Chieftains sound for the first time with ‘Tiompán Reel’ composed by Paddy Moloney, and the album also features Breton music for the first time with ‘Ceol Bhriotánach’.

Track Listing

The Tiompán Reel

Tabhair dom do Lámh (Give me your Hand)

Three Kerry Polkas

Ceol Bhriotánach (Breton Music)

The Chieftains’ Knock on the Door

The Robber’s Glen

An Ghé agus Grá Geal (The Goose and Bright Love)

The Humours of Carolan

Samhradh, Samhradh (Summertime, Summertime)

Kerry Slides

Berry Lyndon

Music from the Stanley Kubrick film including tracks by The Chieftains. The film was released at the beginning of 1976, and from the start, the moving music was singled out for special mention by film critics and fans. The soundtrack later won an Oscar.

Paddy explains ‘Bonaparte’s Retreat’ as his tone poem inspired by reading about the Irish connection with the French in history: “It’s about how the Irish asked for Napoleon’s help and then how they went over to help him out with problems we were having with the neighbours”.

This musical collage details the rise and fall of Napoleon through Ireland’s eyes, beginning with the lament for the flight of the Irish chieftains – ‘The Wild Geese’ – and ending with Napoleon’s exile and the end of the Irish dream for freedom. This is the first Chieftains recording to use a singer, featuring the then 17 year old Dolores Keane (her first recording).

Track Listing

The Chattering Magpie

An Chéad Mháirt den Fhomhar (The First Tuesday of Autumn)
Green Grow the Rushes O

The Chieftains 7, described as the group’s ‘musical scrap book’, features, for the first time, various personal choices of music from each group member.

Track Listing

Away We Go Again

Dóchas

Hedigan’s Fancy

John O’ Connor, The Ode to Whiskey

Friel’s Kitchen

No. 6 The Coombe

O’ Sullivan’s March

The Ace and Deuce of Pipering

The Fairies’ Lamentation and Dance

Oh! The Breeches Full of Stitches

The Chieftains Live

In the wake of the success of ‘Bonaparte’s Retreat’, The Chieftians returned to America and Canada in December of 1976 to tour. The concerts in the Symphony Hall in Boston and the Massey Hall in Toronto were recorded for this live album, although because of intereference with the recording equipment in Boston, only one track from the Symphony Hall was used, the balance made up with the Toronto performance. It gives a great taste of the energy and joviality of a Chieftains’ performance.

Track Listing

The Morning Dew

George Brabazon

Kerry Slides

Carrickfergus

Carolan’s Concerto

The Foxhunt

Round the House and Mind the Dresser

Solos: Caitlín Triall, For the Sakes of Old Decency, Carolan’s Farewell to Music, Banish Misfortune, The Tarbolton/The Pinch of Snuff, The Star of Munster/The Flogging Reel

Limerick’s Lamentation

Ríl Mór

The Chieftains 8

‘The Chieftains 8’ saw the final appearance of Michael Tubridy and Seán Potts with the group, and features a beautiful and striking set piece composed by Paddy Moloney, ‘Sea Image’, a six minute experimental piece in homage to the stirring power of the sea. ‘Melody Maker’, Europe’s No. 1 music magazine, complimented the group for not resting on their laurels and continuing to experiment and expand, and named them Group of the Year.

Track Listing

The Session

Dr. John Hart

Seán sa Cheo

An tSean Bhean Bhocht, The Fairies’ Hornpipe

Sea Image

If I had Maggie in the Wood

An Spéic Seoigheach

The Dogs among the Bushes

Miss Hamilton

The Job of Journeywork

The Wind that Shakes the Barley/The Reel with the Beryle

Boil the Breakfast Early (The Chieftains 9)

‘Boil the Breakfast Early/Chieftains 9’, released in 1980 was seen as a fresh start for the group, because it featured for the first time bodhreán player Kevin Conneff singing a capella on a beautiful song. (When a Man’s in Love) and also introduced flautist Matt Molloy. Said Colin Irwin from Melody Maker of the album: “The rejuvination of The Chieftains has been an education to behold. Just a year ago they looked a skeleton of the band they used to be. And now they’ve come up with their freshest album for years”.

Track Listing

Boil the Breakfast Early

Mrs. Judge

March from Oscar and Malvina

When a Man’s in Love

Bealach an Doirnín

Ag Taisteal na Blárnán

Carolan’s Welcome

Up against the Buachalawns

Gol na mBan san Ár

Chase around the Windmill

The Year of the French

In Autumn 1981 Paddy Moloney was commissioned to write a joint score for The Chieftains and the RTE Symphony Orchestra for an Irish television mini-series called ‘The Year of the French’. Based on the novel by Thomas Flanagan, the story follows a wandering poet called Owen McCarthy on his travels through Ireland at a time when the French had volunteered some military assistance against the British in Ireland. The album was critically acclaimed when released, and The Chieftains even made their acting debut on the series, playing as 18th century musicians.